Dordogne Berry Limousin Travel guide

Dordogne Berry Limousin : Michelin's recommendations

If ‘‘the heartland of France’’ is what you’re looking for, try a trip through these three regions that are right next to each other and yet so different! Why not go from north to south, starting with the Berry? Bourges, its capital, is a medieval city of great beauty that was the home of King Charles VII while he attempted to recapture his kingdom with the help of Joan of Arc. The city boasts a cathedral on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the construction of which began in 1195 and was completed in 1354. The Berry countryside, immortalised by George Sand, is famous for its Sancerre white wine that pairs beautifully with the region’s goat cheese. After exploring La Brenne, a legendary land full of untamed landscapes, you reach the Limousin, a region that produced several popes in the 14C. The area’s many attractions include its well-preserved natural beauty, Gallo-Roman remains, fortified villages and its steam train, as well as decorative arts including the famous Aubusson tapestries. Limoges remains the capital of porcelain. Highlighting the end of your adventure, the Dordogne is a majestic river made for canoeing and kayaking, with cliffs, prehistoric caves and hilltop castles. The Dordogne is also an enchanting land where you can enjoy foie gras, black truffles and walnut cake! Rocamadour, an important place for Christianity in the Middle Ages, is an extraordinary site sitting on a rocky outcrop.

Dordogne Berry Limousin : Must-see towns and regions

A rich Roman city and then (late 14C) an important artistic centre thanks to its Capetian patron Jean de Berry, Bourges became the economic hub of Berry, and more recently an important place on the mu...

Rocamadour is many things at once: a miraculous rock, a historic site, a place of legends and beliefs, a home to the sanctuary of the Black Madonna, and a place of pilgrimage. It occupies a truly brea...

Sarlat developed around a Benedictine abbey founded in the late 8C in the heart of the Périgord Noir. It became a prosperous market town in the 13C and 14C, but the Hundred Years’ War left it battered...

Along with Lascaux, the village of Les Eyzies overlooking the Vézère valley is one of the most important centres of prehistory in France. Here, grottos and caves have been carved out of the cliff face...

At the foot of the cliff, near to the river, stands the calm village of La Roque-Gageac, pearl of the valley. Surrounded by greenery, the lauze tiled houses stand in this once-fortified site. In the M...

The ancient city with its Gallo-Roman villa crowned by a glass roof by Jean Nouvel stands on one side of the town, with the medieval and Renaissance district on the other, including the Cathédrale St-...

Standing 80m above the Lot valley, this admirable hilltop village is dominated by a mighty castle built in the Middle Ages by the lords of La Popie. The strategic position of this site has often made ...

French capital of the firing arts, celebrated worldwide for its porcelain and it enamels, Limoges is one of the most misunderstood towns in France. Its alleyways and its medieval houses do not lack ch...